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Aleta
Sill Bowling
For
two decades, and part of a third, Aleta Sill reigned as one of the finest
bowlers in the world. Whether she was competing in WIBC events, or against
professionals on the PWBA tour, Sill was, to say the least, a formidable
opponent on the lanes.
A
native of Dearborn, Mich., Sill started bowling at the age of five and
won her first professional title at age 19. The following year, she was
the WIBC all-events champion and captured the WIBC Queens tournament in
Las Vegas in 1983 at the age of 21.
Sill
would go on to win four additional WIBC titles, including the singles title
in 1983, a second all-around championship and a second Queens title in
1985 and a team championship in 1995.
Sill
was named a WIBC All-American on eight different occasions, from 1983-86,
from 1994-'96 and again in 1998. She was the team captain in 1984 and '85.
But
it was as a professional that Sill made her greatest impact. Over a span
of 20 seasons, she won 31 LPBT-PWBA events including the aforementioned
Queens titles and The U.S. Open in 1994 and '98. Her 31 victories place
her second on the all-time list, one behind Lisa Wagner.
She
was the LPBT-PWBA money leader six times, from 1983-86 and again in 1993
and '94. In 1984 and '85 she led the tour in competition points and her
peers recognized her as the tour's Player of the Year in 1984. The Bowling
Writers Association of America named her its Bowler of the Year in 1984
and '85.
In
1999, Sill became the first woman to pass the $1 million mark in career
earnings. She continued to compete successfully into the 21st century,
making her one of the few bowlers to win in three different decades.
Sill
rose to prominence at the same time that women's professional bowling was
gaining a foothold on cable television. When ESPN began televising the
sport in he early 1980's, heralding the beginning of the sport's modern
era, Sill was among the tour's brightest stars. Her name is sure to be
on any list of the sport's all-time greats, not merely for her longevity,
but her proficiency as well.
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